Your HT as a Go Kit OK, so you got that shiny new handy-talkie (HT) after (or even before) you were licensed. Your radio is your ticket to help out in emergencies, or just to take the radio out and have fun in a new location. Before you go anywhere with that new (or […]
Category: Beginners corner
Beginner’s Corner November 2017
This is a Football The Green Bay Packers had a miserable year in 1961, according to an internet article. When the Packers started training for the next season, legendary coach Vince Lombardy started his team from scratch. Holding up a football in his hand, he said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Okay, but […]
Beginner’s Corner October 2017
Being Weather-wise Well, we all had “fun” during Hurricane Irma’s visit to Georgia. We hope everyone has recovered well, and that we will be able to weather all future storms. Here are a few tips, mainly for new hams but a good review for all of us, to follow during severe weather. We all must […]
Beginner’s Corner September 2017
Harvey and EmComm Texas and Louisiana were hit with a momentous disaster recently, called Hurricane Harvey. All the news and weather channels were providing 24-hour coverage for days. As I write this, I am reminded of the flooding that hit the Atlanta area in in September 2009. An article from the National Weather Service […]
Beginner’s Corner August 2017
Electricity and You (Most of the following was written by John, K7HB.—Ed.) Some time ago I visited with a local ham that had a problem with his main radio power supply. As emergency communications folks, we all know that if you have three of something then you really have two, if you have […]
Beginner’s Corner July 2017
Getting on Ten Meters You have your Technician Class License. Congratulation!. Most amateur will start out in the hobby by purchasing a VHF/UHF portable handheld radio, commonly known as a “handy talkie” or “HT”. The newer models are programmable and you can use them throughout the country. With a technician class license, you have […]
Beginner’s Corner June 2017
Come to Field Day Field Day is the biggest event in the ham radio calendar, and it is a perfect venue for new hams. Here are several reasons why every new ham (and old hams, too) should come to the GARS Field Day. It is the perfect time for new hams to get on […]
Beginner’s Corner April 2017
Power Your Radio When the Power Goes Out As I write this we are having a severe thunderstorm. All the meteorologists are predicting the possibility of power outages. I am a member of Gwinnett ARES and Skywarn (You are a member, too, right?) and I need to be in contact on our two meter net […]
Beginner’s Corner March 2017
Ham Radio and the Weather That Handy Talkie you got when you passed your license exam (You did buy a radio, I hope.), is more than just something with which we enjoy in pursuing our hobby. It can be a life saver. First, most two meter, dual-band or tri-band radios are capable of picking up […]
Beginner’s Corner February 2017
From a New Ham’s Perspective Congratulations to Phyl! She passed her test at Tech Fest, and is now KN4AEZ. I know her very well. She is my XLY (wife). I was her Elmer. Coaching her through the testing process was an eye opener. It brought back memories of my early days as a new […]
Beginner’s Corner January 2017
Opportunities for Fun and Experience Happy New Year Everyone! We hope you all received some nice radio gear over the holidays. January is here and we have a couple exciting activities coming up! First on the list is GARS annual Tech Fest. If you have never been to Tech Fest, you owe it to […]
Beginner’s Corner December 2016
Self-Deploying for Training Purposes There is one cardinal rule in emergency communications: Never self-deploy in an emergency. There is, however, one reason when it is ok to self-deploy. In fact, every emergency communicator needs to do that often. Deploying one’s self to test one’s equipment and to test one’s ability to set up for […]